The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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20 Job Search Tips to Navigate 2020 to Get More Money

20 Job Search Tips to Navigate 2020 to Get More Money
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The job market still favors job seekers according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics for September with unemployment at 3.5% (BLS, 2019). To thrive in your 2020 job search and beyond continually shifting job market, you must think and act like an independent contractor or consultant.
At the speed of industry changes, one year without professional development can cost your career timely opportunities. The one thing about having an independent contractor mindset: Success is contingent on shifting before the trends do.
Here are 13 tips to help you navigate the 2020 job search:

  1. Be zealous about your professional development.

It’s 2019, and you’re not proactive enough in your professional development, says the recent Career Advisory Board (DeVry University, 2014) survey, presented by DeVry University. It’s likely meaning you’re not making time or not investing in yourself. Companies are willing to invest in professional development for their use, but you invest in yourself.
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  1. Own the independent contractor mindset.

The decade of the independent contractor (specifically this coming year), you will need to navigate your opportunities in a way that brands you as a consultant. You’ll see more 1099 offers and will need to be acutely aware of how your state defines “employee.” Ask the freelance workers in California as they prepare for the confusion of AB5. Don’t expect unions and employers to tell you what you need to know.
  1. Know your state laws regarding salary, separation, and leave.

Employment changes are coming to your state. Most professionals are unaware of laws require for separation. It doesn’t help-seeking advice from a California lawyer about the laws in Illinois. The other thing is, don’t rely on a single result from Google. Seek multiple points of advice to be sure you protect your rights. Even with the pay gap and discrimination laws vary from state-to-state.
  1. Target companies for your job search forever, AMEN.

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Industry professionals should use a multi-tier job search approach. One strategy is to target companies you would like to work. Sarah Johnston, the founder of Briefcase Coach, offers how you can discover a list of companies to target using a variety of online tools. Once you have a list of 25 or 50 companies, then focus on finding contacts who can refer you to hiring managers.
  1. You should have a team, too!

Professionals should consider a team of two or more others who can proofread thoroughly and ask the right questions to ensure accuracy. Some of the best resume writers use a team approach to check for quality, keywords, and accuracy of the content.
  1.  Internships and apprenticeships as a newbie in your industry are vital.

College students are the only ones privy to these opportunities. We know we want to pursue those that pay, but the other question to ask, “Does it place well? What is the placement rate?” Before you sign up for that online class or degree, inquire if the school has success with placing people of your age, gender, and color. Expect candor as a barometer before committing.
  1. Collaborate on and offline to change careers. 

Demonstrating social proof, you can do the job is the new calling card to break into a new career. By contributing to online or offline projects through collaborating with industry professionals puts you in that industry. With a little experience, you’re getting exposure and opportunities to explore the career projects you hope to lead one day. There are daily examples of people who produce YouTube videos and podcasts who learn through experimentation and interviewing experts. Read my article on Payscale about ways you can use collaboration to change and advance your career path.
  1. Informational interviews are the best tool for your job search.

Every college student should learn to conduct informational interviews in their freshman year to get started. Every professional should regularly use informational interviews in season or out-of-season (looking or not).  The information obtained from these business conversations is hard to find on the Internet. Besides, they are building a useful network for years to coming. Future mentors are also born through these opportunities.

  1. Hone your portfolio career potential today. 

Here’s a snippet from my article on Flex Jobs:
“Being a blogger/videographer/IT Consultant will be the norm rather than the exception. The future of work characterized by experts, including Alexandra Levit, who says, “This is happening now.” Levit says in her book, “Humanity Works: Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce of the Future, says professionals need to understand the day of one full-time job is ending.” 
It’s here and rising like never before. Read this article about the increasing amount of freelancing taking place.
  1. Feedback is your friend.

The “constructive direction” is what most people miss in getting career advice. You want an honest assessment of where you are and where you need to go next. People telling you to copy and paste, or what to say is not career advice despite the millions doing it. Getting brutally honest feedback regarding the areas you need to build on will bring you to places you’ve never been.
  1. Parental leave and how much it matters to you.

Parental Leave laws and some states will increase their leave from six to twelve weeks, while others won’t change. These laws could affect your choice of employment as you would want to know if the company or entity complies. You should ask how they feel about it to see if it aligns with your values and expectations.
  1. No shouldn’t be the hardest word.

There are times when the infatuation with an employer is not a long-term solution for you. You’re just better in walking away from an employer who refuses to acknowledge your worth. Interview when you’re in control of your career and personal situation. More professionals who own their careers are saying no and walk away! 

  1. Remember this one compensation negotiation strategy to embed on your brain today.

I asked Stacey Hawley, salary and negotiation expert, told me even though you experienced separation from your last company (laid off, fired, quit), you can “ABSOLUTELY” negotiate your compensation package. Change the narrative in your head, inhibiting you from receiving your worth.
  1. PLAN to move on. 

Just as your at-will employer won’t give you two weeks’ notice and perhaps will escort you out of the door, you don’t have to provide two-week advice. You can offer two-weeks notice if you want and if they have shown you love. But if they stress you, leave. Don’t get caught up in accomplishments and result past. If the glory days are gone, start recalibrating your future. Yes, plan your EXIT. Say NO to sentimentality. 
  1. Embrace texting as part of the recruiting process.

Recruiters are embracing text recruiting similarly to the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) blog published an article stating that text recruiting is here to stay! Become comfortable with technology as it is the way of life and career!
  1. Join think-tank, masterminds, focus, job clubs, and Facebook groups and the like.

Groups that meet to help each other advance one another’s career are priceless. We can argue how much is worth joining these groups, but many are free and open to the public.
  1. Social networks are search engines too!

Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and Linkedin are searchable by topic and by names and not necessarily indexed by Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo. You should at least search your name weekly for good stuff and bad stuff.
  1. Your name as a hashtag is a search gem.

Your name may be a hashtag, and you’re not a user on the platform. For instance, let’s say you’re not an Instagram user. Someone may have taken a photo with you in it at an event, so instead of the @ sign, they use your name as a hashtag #markanthonydyson, #markadyson).
  1. You can bounce back.

Getting fired is not a death sentence. No matter the reason for separation, you can bounce back quicker and seamless in most cases. Read my article at Payscale’s career blog and change your mindset.
  1. Fight employers who discriminate by doing this one thing. 

You don’t have to work for employers that discriminate. Find companies representing the type of people you would work for and with. Diverse companies show they’re diverse and inclusive. If you’re targeting companies, then you might find a resource such as Great Places to Work useful. Even when you identify the company, talk with employees using the Linkedin company search tool.

[Read more…]

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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Filed Under: Career, Career Management, Job Search Tagged With: Careers, Job Search

by Mark Anthony Dyson 3 Comments

Race Matters in Hiring, No Matter How Nice The Cheshire Cat Grins

Race Matters in Hiring, No Matter How Nice The Cheshire Cat Grins

 

Race Matters in Hiring, No Matter How Nice The Cheshire Cat Grins

Race matters in hiring. Employers hire based on race, age, and religion despite the laws that are meant to prohibit unfairness or discrimination. This Supreme Court debate from 2003 in retrospect, had little affect on the ways that race still matters today to many hiring managers. I read this and say, this is the longest marathon of issues in race relations that affect minorities:

Today, the national policy of nondiscrimination is firmly rooted in the law. In addition, it generally is agreed that equal opportunity has increased dramatically in America, including in employment. Blacks and other people of color now work in virtually every field, and opportunities are increasing at every level.

 

 

Yet significant work remains to be done

Charges alleging race discrimination in employment accounted for 35.5 percent of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) 2005 charge receipts, making race still the most-alleged basis of employment discrimination under Federal law. In addition, several private studies conducted in the early 2000s provide telling evidence that race discrimination in employment persists.

A 2003 study in Milwaukee found that whites with a criminal record received job callbacks at a rate more than three times that of blacks with the same criminal record, and even at a rate higher than blacks without a criminal record.

A 2003 study in California found that temporary agencies preferred white applicants three to one over African American applicants. And, a 2002 study in Boston and Chicago found that résumés of persons with names common among whites were 50 percent more likely to generate a request for an interview than equally impressive résumés of persons with names common among blacks.

Civil Rights Law and Hiring Practices. (2009). Supreme Court Debates, 12(7), 6.

They smile in your face

There are ways that employers can subtly discriminate in other ways, many times under a grin. Sometimes, a “Cheshire grin.”

First, let’s discuss the “Cheshire Cat Grin” that I have received in the past. It is the smile the receptionist offers upon your arrival for an interview. The smile is to put you at ease. The smile that says…”Welcome.”

It says two other things:

  • The person hopes to smile enough to disappear, like the Cheshire Cat from Alice and Wonderland. It’s obvious he or she does not want to be at work.
  • The same smile offered an employer (receptionist, HR manager, gopher) revealed you are different than the way you sound. I have seen this smile given when a woman named “Charlie” with a low “C” voice (she probably sings contralto). More times I have seen the “Cheshire Grin” given when an Asian-American, Latino American, or African-American has a name like, um, uh, “Mark.”
    Oh, you’re Mark! Wow! Okay!

I have a diverse set of clients in the past three years who came to me because their strategies were not working. Out of the changes we made to their resume and interview style, we used two simple strategies to apply for jobs and on his or her resume:

  1. Modify the name on the resume (ex. from “Latoya” to “Lynn,” “Miguel” to “Michael”)
  2. Remove the address and zip (area can determine culture or color)
  3. Remove social, political, or service organizations that traditionally are one race
  4. Any identifiable cultural associations with sports (once remove a client’s college tournament “Sweet 16” appearance)

Shocked? It’s better to get mad and become strategically shrewd.

I wouldn’t mention this if it did not make a difference in my client obtaining more interviews and being hired. Appalled?

Many people are uncomfortable talking about race, but it’s real. Race matters in hiring, no matter how polite, no matter how big the smile, and regardless whether you are “well-spoken.” It’s not as if an Asian-American cheated, or gamed the system. It is taking race out of the decision. That is all.

Perhaps fewer decision makers racially profile today than 1980. It is relevant on all levels of professional positions and ranges throughout retail sales positions. It is unavoidable.

 

Despite what anyone could gather from this post, standing out in the right way is not a bad thing. As scrutiny from Human Resource professionals applies towards age, experience, and education, don’t believe for a moment subtle details that indicate race wouldn’t matter. Many employers would instead hire the employed than the unemployed.

I wish all of us would have the “Cheshire Grin” power and appear/disappear at will. Grin and our race, gender, culture, or accent would sink so it wouldn’t matter.

But race matters, and there’s nothing you or I can do about it.

Feel free to tell me if I’m out of my mind, or that this is a fair assessment. You can also cry uncle or foul in the comment section.

image credit

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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Filed Under: Career Tagged With: Careers, Hiring

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High Paying International Careers

High Paying International Careers

What are similar careers in the international job market pay in comparison to America? Although, the below infographic is not a complete scope of high paying jobs, it does offer perspective to what are some of the high paying jobs overseas.

Having a high paying job is the dream, but you may find the realities and worldwide statistics surprising. We explore which career areas pay the best, look at pay disparities on a global scale and look at which high-paying jobs come at a price.

The infographic below offers a wide range of possibilities if you’re deciding on a career with a six figure salary.

Healthcare/STEM International Careers

Careers in the medical sector with salaries reaching as high as $682,704.83. While doctors and medical specialists lead the field in high salaries are followed closely by the Directors and CEOs, who take in around $675,894.80 per annum.

Some scientists could earn up to $255,375.87 yearly. The only area that isn’t in six figures in our top eight are those in government, who earn approximately $158,333.04 per annum.

Listen to The Canada Job Hunt, and Can You Ignore Facebook for Your Job Search

Banking International Careers

If you’re lucky enough to snag a high-paying career in the banking sector you can expect to earn $597,579.54, while highly paid workers in the legal sector earn approximately $514,156.75early.

Others International Careers to Consider

High-paid software engineers follow closely behind with $403,493.88 per annum, and highest paid airline pilots and executives earn around $340,501.16 a year.

While these are worldwide figures, each individual country differs on who pays the best. In the UK those in the banking sector top the pile, while medical practitioners are the most highly paid sectors in the United States.

In France you’ll earn the most if you are a CEO of a successful company, similarly in German this is the best field to move into if you want to be a highly paid worker. In Australia a career in the legal profession is your best bet to top the highest paid list, while in China, South Africa and India is a CEO is the best way to earn big money.

Written by:  http://www.brightonsbm.com

BSBM IG Best paid careers in US dollars

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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